Big Blocks Give WSU Volleyball a 3-1 Win over ASU

Friday, November 11

Pullman, Wash.

7:00 PM

Washington State University

18-9, 8-7

Arizona State

9-18, 2-13

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Arizona State	23	22	25	24	1
Washington State	25	25	23	26	3

November 11, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score WSU-ASU Box Score WSU-ASU VB Photo Gallery

By: Washington State Athletic Communications

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Led by the 14 kills and 11 blocks of Taylor Mims, the Washington State volleyball team (18-9 overall, 8-7 Pac-12) clawed its way out of a three-point fourth set deficit to defeat Arizona State (9-18, 2-13) Friday night before 1,251 fans in Bohler Gym. The Cougars stopped a four-match losing streak to win with set scores of 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, and 26-24.

Mims, a junior middle blocker from Billings, Mont., had 11 of WSU's 19 blocks. Her 11 blocks in a four-set match ties Claire Martin (2015) for fifth-best blocks in a match. WSU's 19 team blocks is also tied for fifth-best in school history.

"Winning feels really good, especially against another Pac-12 team because everyone in the conference is good," Mims said. "It's great having a really tall team. Just the way we set it up is know the other hitters on your side and go out and be aggressive with it. With our defense behind us, it's great knowing that we can take up so much space and it's easier for us. McKenna ending up with those blocks is just one of those little things that get us that momentum back."

Kyra Holt led the Cougars with 17 kills and had eight digs and five blocks. Casey Schoenlein added nine kills and four blocks with McKenna Woodford had eight kills and four blocks. Alexis Dirige led the team with 14 digs. Both Cougar setters had double-doubles with Haley MacDonald tallying 27 assists and 10 digs while Nicole Rigoni had 20 assists and 10 digs. Tani Stephens had 12 digs. Holt and Dirige served the only WSU aces on the night but both came at crucial times in the fourth set.

ASU was led by Maya McClendon's 24 kills (.477) and Halle Harker's 28 digs. Oluoma Okaro led the team with six blocks and Kylie Pickrell had 35 assists.

WSU hit .226 for the match and held the Sun Devils to a .152 hitting percentage. ASU out-hit WSU 58 kills to 55, out-dug the Cougars 77 to 70 and served six aced to WSU's two. But WSU's 19 blocks to ASU's 9.5 team blocks was a huge factor in the Cougars' win.

The Cougars trailed 23-21 in the fourth set when McClendon landed a kill to put ASU at set point. Mims landed a kill followed by Holt serving an ace to put the score at 24-23. Woodford's attack hit the floor to knot the set at 24. Back-to-back blocks by Woodford and Mims tallied the 26-24 set win and secured the 3-1 match win.

"I changed up the lineup a little bit, and some other people were playing well. We just wanted to come out and play Cougar volleyball, and get back into the winning column," Cougar Head Coach Jen Greeny said. "I thought we played really well those first two sets. Especially at the beginning of that second set. We got out to a commanding lead, but then we kind of got stuck a little bit. So we just need to be a little more consistent."

"Volleyball is such a game of momentum. If you can get that momentum swing coming back your way, like we did at the end of the fourth set, and just believing (helps)," Greeny said. "We threw some other people in there. Claire Martin came in and had some great blocks. She was a real momentum changer. And Hailey Bethune and McKenna Woodford really came on there at the end of the match."

WSU takes on No. 25 Arizona (16-11, 8-7) Sunday at 11 a.m. in Bohler Gym in a match to be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network.